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Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Top Ten Television Shows Set in Miami, FL

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

So, Miami Medical premiered last week. And it got me thinking about other television shows that are set in Florida, since I'm kinda from there. But, more specifically, which shows are set in Miami. Now, since Miami Medicaljust premiered, it isn't really fair to put it on this list yet (although I must say that I hope it climbs toward the top one day!).

10. The Real World: Miami. This is #10 because, as a rule, I do not watch the MTV Real World/Road Rules television shows. So, I have never actually seen this show, but I know that a lot of people are really into the various incarnations of Real World and so it made the cutoff. It appears that the unique things about this show were the start of season-long tasks (like getting $50,000 to start a business... that never happens) and the fact that some of the character's friends made a home movie when visiting (that another character flips out about after flashing the camera multiple times).

9. Nip/Tuck. While a popular show, it wasn't entirely set in Miami. Only the first half of the show was there, and then it moved to Los Angeles. Two plastic surgeons performing operations on a variety of people. It was rather consistently nominated for Emmy Awards in Makeup. I think I saw an episode once, but it might have been one of those other weird doctor shows, like Dr. 90210. It did well, considering it ran on F/X.

8. Miami Vice. A couple of cops solving crimes in Miami during the 80s. Drugs, prostitutes, and guns. Much like Miami today, actually. Fun Fact: they didn't film things red or brown, LoL. Apparently they used a lot of music and were very influential in Art Deco architecture. And apparently they invented wearing t-shirts under Armani jackets. And they had ferraris. And expensive boats. And, at the beginning of the series, they got a lot of Emmy nominations.

7. Miami Ink. A reality show about a tattoo parlor. It's been going on for four seasons (spin-offs for LA, London, and Rio exist now). The premise was pretty much a bit of info on the employees, but the main focus was on the background of the customer and his/her motivation for getting the tattoo.

6. Dave's World. So there's this guy named Dave Barry who has a (syndicated) column in the Miami Herald. His two books were the basis for this show, and it was very true-to-life regarding what took place and what the characters did. It ran for four seasons, and while it was running there was a thing where the real Dave got divorced, LoL.

5. Dexter. This is one creepy show, let's not lie. Dexter works as a blood splatter analyst for the Miami police department... and he's also a serial killer. It's based on a series of novels, and it runs on Showtime, so viewership numbers run on a different scale, and there's only like 12 episodes in a season. The fifth season is yet to come. Dexter was taught to kill "those who deserve it" by his adoptive father (who died before the show started), and keeps a few drops of each victim's blood between microscope slides. His wife was killed at the end of Season 4. Because of the nature of the show (rooting for a killer not to get caught, etc.), there were all kinds of issues with a broadcast network airing the show where children could see it, but it did air on CBS during the Writers' Strike.

4. CSI: Miami. It's been on since 2002, and it's kinda like every other CSI show. In fact, I'm not sure that there's much of a distinction at all.

3. Empty Nest. A middle-aged man's wife dies, and his daughters move home to live with him. He was a pediatrician who works in a hospital, then a clinic. They have a large dog. Apparently they had a random neighbor, much akin to Kramer on Seinfeld, it seems. In the last two seasons, Sophia from The Golden Girls was on the show, too.

2. Burn Notice. Now we're talking. This show is really unique. The central cast is a guy, his best friend, his ex-girlfriend (no co-worker of sorts), and his mother. He's kinda a freelance spy, since he got kicked out of being a real spy. The episodes generally deal with him helping to solve a mystery/crime while building neat MacGuyver-esque devices or using similar tactics to escape. The best friend and the ex help. She also sells black market goods. Mom also lives in Miami, so she frequently finds out about crazy goings-on, although Michael (the guy) often tries to keep her in the dark. Runs on USA, coming back in June.

1. Golden Girls. 7 seasons of Saturday nights featuring four senior citizen women living together. And it is darn funny. A ditzy one, a promiscuous one, a logical one, and a crazy old bat. The really old one is Dorothy (logic)'s mother, and the house belongs to Blanche (promiscuous). The storylines often revolve around the girls' occupations (substitute teacher, art museum worker, a grief counselor), health, families, and love lives. And, I must admit, that I put it as #1 because I think the comedy is pretty perfect for late-night, since I often fall asleep watching the reruns, LoL.